The Param Vir Chakra Decoration was established on 26 January 1950 and is awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valor during wartime. The name translates as the “Wheel of the Ultimate Brave“, and the award is granted for “most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy“.
The decoration was created after the independence of the country, when the British honors and awards system in India informally came to an end. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to give gallantry awards for the ongoing conflict in Jammu and Kashmir in June 1948 it was decided to institute new Indian awards for gallantry. These included the Param Vir Chakra Decoration as well as the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), and the Vir Chakra (VrC) Decorations.
The Param Vir Chakra Decoration was established by the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, with effect from 15 August 1947 (Independence Day of India). The medal carries with it the right to use “PVC” as a post-nominal.
The Param Vir Chakra Design
The medal is circular in shape, struck in bronze, and measures 35 mm in diameter (one and three-eighth inches).
The obverse has an embossed design with four replicas of Indra’s Vajra with the state emblem in the center. The reverse has the inscription “Param Vir Chakra“, both in Hindi and English, as well as two lotus flowers between the sentences.
The medal is suspended by a plain purple-colored ribbon 33 mm (one and a quarter inches) in width.
